“Not without a ring on my finger,” she said.
They walked down the hall.
“This is my bedroom and over here is Martin’s,” he said and then he led her down to the last door at the end of the hallway. He threw open the door and she gasped.
Martin smiled.
“This will be the bedroom we share with our wife. The other two bedrooms will be for our children. There is a nursery over to the side of the big room where the baby can sleep.”
Like she was in a dream, she stepped through the door and gazed around the room. They had designed the room to fit their needs and the needs of their wife. The house had been built just before the mine collapse. At the time, Martin was so ready to marry and have a family, but now suddenly, he was getting cold feet.
Jakob walked in behind her and came up and pulled her up against him.
She gasped.
“Think of what will go on in this room. The times we’ll take our bride here. The children we’ll create. The love and the births that will occur in this room.” His hands came around her and he pulled her arms up overhead as his lips came down on hers.
He kissed her, and Martin, not wanting to be left out, moved in behind her and pulled her against his hard cock straining in his pants with the need to plunge deep inside her.
A moan escaped from her throat as they held her between them, Jakob taking command of her lips, expressing his need as Martin held her in place.
Suddenly he broke the kiss. “This is what we will expect from our wife. Her total surrender as we share her between us.”
Blanche’s emerald eyes were glazed as she stared at Jakob.
“What’s in it for me? You have total control over my body and expect me to surrender. What will I get out of it?”
Speechless, Martin stood there and watched as Jakob didn’t really know how to handle this question. The woman was an innocent. She knew nothing about how a man and woman copulated.
“You get two wonderful husbands. Two men who will protect you and our children with their life. Nothing will harm you and one of us all always be by your side.”
She licked her lips and he could see she was having trouble breathing. Jakob’s kiss had affected her.
“I’ll agree to that trade. Show me the ranch,” she said in a breathy gasp.
A frown appeared on Jakob’s face, but he took her by the hand and the two of them hurried down the stairs.
Martin took one last look at the room they’d prepared before he closed the door and rushed after them.
When he caught up, they were in the barn. The ranch hands had three horses saddled and ready to go. On the way out the door, he’d grabbed the picnic basket.
“The barn holds all the animals, but we’d like to take you out to the pasture and let you see the mares and have lunch down by the creek.”
“We’re riding?” Her emerald eyes grew large and a big smile crossed her face.
“Yes,” Jakob said, surprised by her eagerness.
“Which horse am I riding?” she asked.
“The sorrel,” Martin said.
She walked up to the horse and ran her hand over its nose and slid her hands down its neck. “I used to own a horse that looked a lot like this one. She was my favorite and we use to ride the land together. Oh, how I miss her.”
The wistfulness in her voice was urgent and he understood her missing the animal.
Martin smiled. If they married, he knew what he was giving her for a wedding gift. A horse of her own.
“I’m sorry we don’t have a sidesaddle,” Jakob said. “I’ll get you one.”
“Don’t bother,” she said stepping up into the stirrups, she threw her leg over the horse, her dress riding up, showing her ankles.
“If my ankles bother you, don’t look,” she said and gave the horse a little kick. “Sidesaddles are dangerous. The combination of sidesaddle and long skirts means the lady cannot fall clear of the horse and is likely to be trampled. It can also hurt the horse with so much weight being unbalanced. As ranchers, I’m surprised you men don’t know that. Isn’t safety your top concern for me and your animals?”
In astonishment, Jakob and Martin watched her ride out of the barn. The woman knew how to ride a horse, and how to make them feel uneducated.
“We better go,” Jakob said. “Our bride is showing me she’s not always a lady.”
“Thank God,” Martin said.
They each climbed onto their horse and rode out of the barn. She was already flying across the fields.
“Look at her,” Jakob said. “That is not how a lady comports herself.”
“No, and isn’t she beautiful,” Martin said watching her. “I had a little spell while we were driving here and I decided I couldn’t marry her. But watching her now, I have to have her. Come on, let’s catch up. It’s time to ask her to marry us.”
Martin knew that Jakob would now be questioning everything, but he didn’t care. Yes, he was still scared and insecure. If he didn’t still have moments of fear exploding inside him, he would have no questions about marrying her. But even now, he dreaded the next time he would go back in time and relive the mine explosion all over again.
Finally, she began to slow the horse, walking her and petting her, and Martin would guess, talking to the animal. The horse shook its head as if it were agreeing with her.
They galloped up alongside her.
“Good day, gentlemen,” she said. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed this. Thank you for letting me ride this wonderful animal.”
Jakob shook his head and Martin hoped he wasn’t about to lecture her on conduct for a woman.
“See that creek over there?” Martin asked. “Let’s ride over there and we can have our lunch.”
She pressed the sides of the horse and once again they were off and running. Her glorious auburn hair was flying out in the wind, her trim ankles were out and her dress billowed on the back of the horse.
All he knew was that he’d never seen such a carefree rider who knew how to handle the animal. It was like she and the horse were one. It was like an auburn angel riding the wind.
She reached the pond and let the horse have rein in order to have a drink. When they caught up to her, she grinned
“What a wonderful day,” she said, as her feet dropped to the ground.
“Where should we have our picnic?” Martin asked.
Frowning, Jakob sat in his saddle staring at her. “Where did you learn to ride like that?”
“My papa,” she said. “No saddle, no dress, just me in a pair of pants riding every day until he felt like he could let me ride alone. He started me when I was just four.”
Martin slid off his horse and pulled off the picnic basket from his horse. He spread a blanket and then set out the food.
Jakob swung his leg over the saddle and slid down.
After they ate, they planned to talk to her about their expectations and then they would offer to marry her.
After everything was ready, Blanche sank to the ground beside him. Jakob took the other side of her.
While it was a wonderful idea to wait until after they ate, right now Martin felt like his stomach was up in his throat and he couldn’t swallow. Yes, he had his doubts, but after seeing her ride the range today, all he could think about was ripping that dress off her and taking her right here on the blanket.